A Friendly Reunion
by DevinM26
Summary: One-Shot set between Diamond & Pearl and Best Wishes. Ash has returned home, with the disappointment of the Sinnoh League weighing heavy on him. He's beginning to question his path as a Pokémon trainer; can a talk and battle with an old friend snap him out of it? PokéShipping implied.


On a road near the southern coast of the Kanto region, a 14-year old boy stood, with his ever faithful companion Pikachu resting on his shoulder.

The boy was short, with tanned skin, bright brown eyes, and messy, raven black hair covered by a red baseball cap. He was also wearing a black-with-a-yellow-stripe vest over a white T-shirt, a pair of jeans with red sneakers, and fingerless black gloves. On his back was a green backpack, while in his left hand he carried a plastic shopping bag.

This young trainer was Ash Ketchum, having just returned home from a year-long journey through the Sinnoh region, the latest chapter in his quest to become a Pokémon master.

"There's Pallet Town," Ash said as the pair stood on a hill overlooking their hometown. It was a small village, with a handful of houses interwoven with unpaved roads and farming fields. The most eye-catching sights were a small river that ran through the town's outskirts, and the laboratory of famed scientist Professor Samuel Oak; the lab sat on a small hill with a large ranch to the rear of the building.

"Let's go, Pikachu!"

"Pika!"

With that, Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulder and began to run alongside him. As they continued to run along the road, Ash's mind wandered, and he started to feel a sadness come over him. Sure, he was plenty excited to see his mom, Professor Oak, Tracey, and all of his Pokémon, but he had recently had to say goodbye to some friends of his as well.

Just a few hours ago, he had said a final farewell to Brock Slate, the aspiring Pokémon doctor who, since the day they met in Pewter City years ago, had been Ash's constant companion. They'd traveled together through Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, and even though he'd never exactly said it, Ash had come to see Brock as his best friend. Now, their journey together had finally reached its end, and while Ash couldn't be prouder of Brock for following his own dreams, it still made him a bit upset to think about how wherever he journeyed to next, Brock wouldn't be by his side anymore.

As Ash continued thinking about Brock, his thoughts suddenly shifted to Dawn Berlitz, the 11-year-old Pokémon coordinator he and Brock had met in Sinnoh. Ash may not have known Dawn for as long as Brock, but he saw a lot himself in her, or at least the 10-year-old version of himself that had first left Pallet Town to become a Pokémon trainer, and saying goodbye to her had been nearly as hard as it had been with Brock. He and Dawn had been there to give each other support whenever the other one needed it during their travels together, and right now, he could really use some of that support.

Ash had really thought he was going to win this time. He had finally beaten Paul, made it farther than he'd ever gotten in a tournament before, and then, thanks to Tobias, the Top 4 of the Sinnoh League was as far as he got. He didn't want to put down Tobias; the guy was clearly a really strong trainer and won fair and square, but Ash couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Ash was starting to question if he could ever win a league tournament, and he knew most Pokémon trainers ended up retiring after never amounting to anything; was that the fate he was destined for?

"Pikapi, Pika Chu!"

Ash turned his head and saw that the two of them had reached Pallet Town; he'd been so caught up in thought that he hadn't even noticed. Putting on a smile in preparation for seeing his mother and friends, Ash and Pikachu raced into the town square, crossing the Pallet Town bridge and heading into the town square, from which they made a right turn and quickly arrived outside his mother's house.

It was a modestly sized house with a light blue coat of paint and red ceiling, surrounded by a white picket fence and a small yard. It was also where Ash had lived the first ten years of his life; while he had somewhat resented it at the time, wanting to go and have adventures across the world, now, after over a year of being separated from it, he was relieved at the sight of it. Ash had no intention of stopping his training, but just for a little bit, he wanted to sleep in his own bed and taste his mom's cooking.

Not able to wait any longer, Ash bolted through the gate, with Pikachu hopping back on his shoulder just before he did. Ash waved to his mother's Mr. Mime, wearing a green apron and sweeping out the front porch, before he pushed the door open and rushed inside. Ash he put his bags down and slipped off his shoes, he noticed an Azurill wobbling across the floor towards him, and Pikachu jumped off his shoulder to greet it.

"Pika Pika!"

"Azurill!"

As Ash looked down at the two small, mouse-like Pokémon chatting, he realized that Azurill's presence meant someone else was here too.

"Ash!" a voice called out, and as he looked up, he saw a teenage girl standing in front of him. The girl, who was slightly taller than Ash, had short red hair and was wearing it down, which nicely complemented her sea-green eyes, and she was wearing a blue jacket over a white tank-top and denim shorts. No matter how much her appearance had changed since the day he first met her, Ash would recognize this girl anyway; Misty Waterflower, the current Cerulean City Gym Leader and the first (human) friend he had made on his journey.

Ash couldn't help but smile at the sight of his old friend, and he rushed towards her with his eyes wide, stopping just short of hugging her. Misty looked a bit surprised at his reaction, causing to sheepishly Ash smile and rub his head once his eyes met hers.

"Uh, hi Misty," he said, regaining his composure. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Delia told me you were coming home from Sinnoh today, and since it's been awhile since we've seen each other, I thought I'd stop by."

As Ash thought back, he realized it had been a pretty long time since they'd seen each other, over a year even. Sure, they exchanged emails and chatted over video phone whenever they got the chance, but the last time they'd seen each other in person was the Mirage Pokémon incident back when he was traveling through the Kanto Battle Frontier.

"Well, it's great to see you, Misty," Ash smiled, "but how'd you get your sisters to give you time off from the gym?"

"I have my ways," Misty chuckled before winking at Ash.

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu called out, interrupting Ash and Misty's conversation as he leaped into Misty's arms.

"Hi there, Pikachu," Misty said affectionately as she rubbed her cheek against Pikachu's. "I've missed you too."

As Pikachu jumped out of Misty's arms, she began to look around the hall, a bit confused.

"Hey Ash, where's Brock and that girl you guys met in Sinnoh?" Misty asked.

"Dawn?" Ash asked rhetorically. "Uh, her Buneary got a modeling gig at Poké Chic magazine, so she had to stay in Sinnoh."

"Aww," Misty replied, her disappointment clear. "I was hoping to meet her."

"And Brock decided to become a Pokémon doctor, so he headed back home to Pewter City to get right to studying."

"Brock? A doctor?" Misty said, as if a horrible realization had come over her. "Please tell me this isn't some scheme he cooked up to spend time with Nurse Joy."

"Well, I'm sure he isn't complaining about that," Ash joked. "But he seemed really committed to it. Said he's going to apply to Pewter University then try to get an internship in Johto his second semester."

"Hmmm, still, maybe I should give him a visit on my way back home," Misty said. "If only to keep him honest."

Ash and Misty then broke out into laughter, even if the subtext of what Misty had just said had flown over Ash's head.

"Ash, my boy!" the voice of an older man called out, and Ash peered behind Misty to see its source; Professor Oak, standing with Ash's mother Delia and Tracey Sketchit. "Such a pleasure to see you again."

"Yeah Ash, welcome home!" Tracey exclaimed.

"Ash, I watched all your battles," Delia said as she put her hands together and raised them to her chest, "and I for one couldn't be prouder to say that my boy made it to the Top 4 of the Sinnoh League!"

While his mom's words were meant to make him feel proud, Ash's face became a bit sullen at the sound of them.

"Well, I could think of one way you might be prouder, mom…"

Everyone present silently squinted, taken aback by Ash's remark. Deciding to prematurely defuse the situation, Ash turned around to grab the shopping back he brought home from Sinnoh.

"I almost forgot," the young trainer said. "I got all you guys gifts!"

Ash then reached into the bag, pulling out a sketchbook and a set of pencils, which he handed to Tracey, a haiku collection book, which he gave to Professor Oak, and a set of porcelain plates, which his mother accepted with a smile.

"I've also got some stuff for my Pokémon, and…" Ash trailed off as his gaze met Misty's. "I would have gotten something for you Misty, but I uh...I didn't know you were coming."

"Well, if we're talking about gifts, it wouldn't hurt you to stop by the Cerulean gym every once in awhile."

"Hmmm, I don't know Misty," Ash said in a teasing voice. "Training to be the world's greatest Pokémon master doesn't leave me with a lot of free time."

"Oh sure, because being a Gym Leader is such a breeze, right?" Misty shot back.

"What, no!" Ash said, flustered. "That's not what I meant at all."

Misty smiled at Ash's response, signaling to the young trainer that there was no malice in her words, just playful teasing. Nonetheless, Delia decided to rescue her son from the situation he had found himself in.

"Ash, I have something to give you too." Delia said as he handed a box to her son. Ash took the box from her, kneeling down to open it. Once he did, he smiled at the contents; a new set of clothes, including a blue-and-white jacket, a pair of black cargo pants, new sneakers, and red-and-white cap.

"Wow mom, you shouldn't have," Ash said as he pulled the jacket out of the box and began to look over it.

"Well, I figured since you're starting a new chapter in your journey, a new outfit might be in order as well."

"I'm gonna rush upstairs and put these on," Ash said. "Be back in a bit!"

With that, Ash darted up the stairs behind him, with Pikachu following close behind, and rushed into his room, closing the door behind him. He set the box containing his new clothes down on his bed and unzipped his backpack while Pikachu jumped onto the bed.

Reaching into his backpack, Ash pulled out his Sinnoh Badge case and set it on a shelf next to his badges from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and the Orange Islands, as well his Battle Frontier symbols and his Orange League trophy.

Next, he took out some of the miscellaneous items he had accumulated over the course of his journey through Sinnoh, including the Twinleaf Festival trophy, a pair of Soothe Bells, his diploma from Professor Rowan's Pokémon Summer Academy, a Teddiursa statuette given to him by his friend May Maple, and several more. Ash then arranged all these items on top his dresser, satisfied once the job was complete.

Ash then took out a photo from his back pocket and stared at it fondly for a moment. In the center of the photo was Dawn, smiling and holding her Piplup in her arms, while Ash and Brock stood on opposite sides of her and Pikachu balanced himself on Ash's head. They had taken the photo shortly after Ash had gotten his Cobble Badge in Veilstone City, and he'd kept a copy as a memento of their travels together.

After Ash finished looking over the photo, he taped it to a bulletin board over his dresser, placing it alongside three other photos that hung on the board. The first one was of him, Pikachu, Misty holding her Togepi, and Brock, with all of them making V-signs directly into the camera; Ash couldn't remember exactly when they had taken it, but he cherished it nonetheless.

The second one was taken while Ash was in the Orange Islands; the group was riding on the back of his Lapras, Ash had his arm around Misty's shoulder while Tracey sat behind them and Pikachu struggled to balance on Lapras's shell. Seeing this photo quickly turned Ash's thoughts to his now released Lapras, but he didn't get too upset; he was sure that it was off living a good life as the leader of its herd.

The third photo was of Ash, Brock, May, and her little brother Max, taken in Terracotta Town just before May and Max had gone back home to Hoenn. The group was squeezed together in an effort to all fit in the shot; Ash and May were pushed directly up against each other at the side, Brock was standing behind them smiling like a proud older brother, Max was positioned in the front of the photo and holding up a V-sign with both hands, and Pikachu was leaning into the shot from Ash's shoulder.

Ash looked over the photos together, thinking nostalgically about how far he'd come and how many friends he'd made since he first started on his Pokémon journey, and nodded his head happily.

Walking over to his bed, Ash then unzipped his vest and slipped out of the clothes that he had worn during his Sinnoh travels, and dressed into the new clothes he had been gifted. After putting the belt that held his Pokéballs around his new pair of pants, Ash turned around with his arms spread towards Pikachu.

"How do I look Pikachu?"

"Pika, Pikapi chu Pika!" Pikachu replied in approval.

"Yeah, I feel ready to start again," Ash said in turn. "The two of us are gonna be champions, buddy!"

"Pika!"

The young trainer and his partner then jumped forward and gave each other a high five, but as soon as they made contact, the smile vanished from Ash's face and slumped down onto his bed. Concerned, Pikachu jumped up to his side.

"Pikapi?"

"It's not you, Pikachu" was Ash's response, followed by him letting out a sigh and falling back on the bed. As time flew by, Ash lay still, wallowing in thought, before his attention was eventually caught by a knock on his door.

Ash pushed himself up to answer it, and after opening the door he saw Misty standing in the doorway in front of him.

"Misty?"

"Ash," she replied, sounding a bit annoyed, "what are you doing? You've been up here for 10 minutes and we're all downstairs waiting for you."

"Oh sorry, I didn't realize I'd been up here so long" Ash replied truthfully. "It's just... I've been... thinking."

These words took Misty aback; she knew that Ash was definitely more a doer than a thinker, and he certainly wasn't the type to let time pass him by while he silently ruminated. What was it that was occupying the young trainer's mind?

"Well... what were you thinking about?"

Ash gestured Misty to come into the room, and the two proceeded to sit down on the bed beside each other, with Pikachu jumping onto Misty's lap.

"Misty...am I a good trainer?"

"What?!" Misty replied, nearly gasping. Of all the things she had been expecting Ash to say, that certainly wasn't one of them. "Of course you are, Ash."

Misty then looked down at Pikachu and smiled.

"I mean, you've come a long way from the thickheaded ten-year-old who threw poor Pikachu here at Brock's Onix."

"Pikaaa."

While Misty and Pikachu giggled, Ash stayed silent and his expression became even grimmer.

"It's just… I really thought that this was it. I know I always say that, but this time it really felt I was finally gonna win. All my Pokémon worked harder than ever before, and… I felt like I was gonna be Sinnoh League champion. And then, I just lost and I...I let all of them down. And now I'm starting to think that maybe I'm just n...not Pokémon Master material."

Misty had never heard Ash sound like this; so dark, so defeated, and she didn't like it one bit.

"Well, Ash, I mean, Top 4 is still really impressive," she started. "Plus you've got the Orange League and Battle Frontier too, remember."

"Yeah, I guess, but those don't compare to a regional tournament," Ash replied, Misty's words of encouragement having failed to lift his dour mood. "I mean, Flint of the Sinnoh Elite Four, he won the Sinnoh League in his first year as a trainer. I've been going four years now and still haven't gotten that far yet. "

Misty then stood up in a huff and began to leer over her friend, wearing a now irritated look over her face.

"Alright, I'm not hearing any more of this," she said, sternly putting her foot down. "I've never known you to think about throwing in the towel just because you lost one battle, and I'm not about to let you start. The only way you're gonna get better is to go out, start training again, and keep battling till you make your way to the top."

Ash stared silently at Misty for a moment, absorbing her impromptu pep talk, before turning his head down again in reluctance. Misty grumbled before her face lit up with a smile.

"I know," she exclaimed. "Let's have a battle right now!"

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, you and me. Full six-on-six," Misty said smiling.

"...Unless of course," Misty said, wearing the exact smirk and speaking in exactly the right tone that she knew would get Ash riled up, "You think you can't beat me."

At the sound of that, Ash's eyes went wide in shock, before he stood up angrily and pumped his fists.

"If it's a battle you want Misty, then oh boy are you gonna get one!"

"Pika!" Pikachu said, affirming his trainer's words as he jumped onto his right shoulder.

"Ok then," Misty replied with a confident gleam in her eye. "Let's go!"

The two young trainers then rushed out of Ash's room and down the stairs, where they immediately caught the attention of Delia.

"There you are!" she called out, causing Ash and Misty's heads to turn. "Ash, honey, we're about to eat."

Ash peered out from behind Misty into the kitchen, and his mouth began to water at the platter that his mom had prepared in anticipation of his return. As he walked towards the kitchen in a trance-like state with his mouth open, Misty grabbed him by his collar and pulled him back to his senses.

"Uh, have you forgotten about our battle?"

"But Misty," Ash complained in a voice that reminded her of his 10-year old self, "It's been hours since I ate last."

"Well, then you can work up that appetite even more during the battle" Misty shot back sternly.

"Oh, alright," Ash said, having realized he wasn't going to win this one. "Mom, Misty and I are going to have a battle, so save some for us."

"A battle?" Professor Oak asked, looking up from the food platter he had been setting up. "How exciting! Would you mind if I observed it?"

"Be our guest, Professor," Ash replied as he and Misty rushed out the front door.

"You guys will need a referee, too," Tracey said as he followed the pair outside, with Professor Oak coming closely behind as well. Delia was left alone in the kitchen, staring down at the food she had spent the entire morning preparing.

"...I'll just put this in the fridge," she said, having decided to watch her son's battle with Misty as well.

As Ash, Misty, and Tracey all took their places on the makeshift battlefield, located across the street from the house they had just left, Ash noticed Professor Oak walking towards them and jogged towards him.

"Professor," Ash called out, "did you bring the Pokéball I asked you to?"

"Indeed I did, my boy," Oak nodded as he reached into his lab coat pocket and took out a single Pokéball. Ash excitedly grabbed it from Oak's hand, and after running back to his place on the field, grabbed the five Pokéballs along his belt and threw them all up into the air. The Pokéballs cracked open in a flash of white light, releasing the six Pokémon that Ash had caught while in Sinnoh: Staraptor, Infernape, Torterra, Buizel, Gible, and Gliscor, the last of whom was the Pokémon that Professor Oak had brought at Ash's request.

"Everyone," Ash said as he turned towards his Pokémon, "I'd like you to meet my friends Misty and Tracey!"

All of Ash's Pokémon began happily waving at the two young trainers in front of them, and Tracey waved back.

"Hey Ash, you think any of your new Pokémon would be interested in being subjects for me?" Tracey asked half-jokingly. However, before he could get his answer, Misty, hearts in her eyes, rushed over to the group of Pokémon and picked up Ash's Buizel.

"Ash, why didn't you tell me you caught a Buizel?" Misty inquired, her awestruck tone hiding her genuine annoyance that Ash had neglected to inform her about his Sinnoh Water-Type. "I've never seen one in person before! It's so adorable!"

Buizel, already annoyed at being manhandled by Misty, snapped at that last remark.

"Bui buuuuuuuiii," Buizel shouted as he launched a Water Gun attack at Misty's face, drenching her and causing her to drop him to the ground. Buizel landed on his feet and crossed his arms, while Misty walked back over to her bag to get a towel.

"Sorry about that, Misty" an embarrassed Ash called out, apologizing for his Pokémon's behavior. "Buizel's a bit touchy."

"Well, I guess they're right when they say a Pokémon reflects their trainer," Misty muttered under her breath as she dried herself off. As Misty put the towel back in her bag, Delia walked out of the house and stood beside Professor Oak.

"I thought you two were going to have a battle," she asked, to which Ash turned his head to face her.

"Mom?" he asked surprised. "You wanna watch the battle?"

"I might as well if you two are going to hold up our dinner for it," Delia replied to her son's question. Upon hearing this, Ash turned towards his Pokémon.

"Well then guys, let's not disappoint."

All of Ash's Pokémon nodded, and he swung around to face Misty, who was in a battle-ready pose at the opposite end of the field. Tracey, standing between the two, raised both his arms, a signal for the battle to begin.

"This will be a successive six-on-six battle between Ash and Misty," Tracey declared. "The first trainer to score more than three victories wins the match. Neither trainer can substitute their Pokémon during this battle. Ready? Begin!"

"Alright Pikachu, you ready?"

"Pikachu!" the small Electric-Type said as he pumped his fist and leaped from Ash's shoulder onto the field. Ash was more than aware that Misty favored Water-Types, and he was hoping that Pikachu could give him the advantage. However, Misty merely smiled at his choice.

"I expected that you'd go with Pikachu, Ash" she said as she threw a Pokéball into the air, releasing her Corsola onto the field.

"Corsola!" the small Water-Type exclaimed as she eyed Pikachu on the opposite side of the field. Eager to begin, Ash gave his command first, just as Misty had anticipated.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Piii-ka-chuuuu!" the small Electric-Type shouted as he became engulfed in electric energy and a bolt of lightning shot from him towards Corsola. Misty's smile grew even wider, for she had predicted Ash's strategy perfectly.

"Corsola, Mirror Coat!"

Obeying her trainer, Corsola became surrounded by glowing, reflective energy. Once the Thunderbolt hit her, it bounced off of her and back towards Pikachu.

"Pikachu, quick," Ash called out, "Dodge it!"

Unfortunately, Pikachu didn't react quick enough and was struck by his own redirected attack. Frustrated, Ash grit his teeth.

"Ok, Mirror Coat redirects Special Attacks," he thought. "So I'll have to stick with physical ones: Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

Shrugging off the damage left by Thunderbolt, Pikachu began to race towards Corsola, leaving behind a trail of white light.

"Corsola, use Bubblebeam!" Misty called out.

"Pikachu, zig-zag to dodge it!"

"Pika," Pikachu nodded as he started taking sharp turns in his path to avoid the oncoming Bubblebeam. Deciding that Pikachu was close enough to Corsola for an attack, Ash gave another command.

"Now, Iron Tail!"

With that, Pikachu leaped off the ground as his tail began to glow with white energy. Flipping in mid-air, he brought the full strength of his Iron Tail down on Corsola's head.

"Pika!" the Electric-Type called out confidently as he landed near his trainer.

"Cooorsoola" the Water-Type cried out in pain.

"Corsola," Misty said firmly, "Use Recover!"

"Coooooor," Misty's Pokémon sung as her body glew white, indicating she was recovering from the damage inflicted by Pikachu's Iron Tail. Deciding he needed to act quickly, Ash gave his command.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!

"Pika pika pika pika pika!" Pikachu repeated as he charged towards Corsola once again, this time becoming engulfed in golden electric energy. However, before he reached Corsola, the white energy faded from her body, signaling she was fully recovered; now, Misty knew it was her turn to attack.

"Corsola," Misty commanded, her confidence unbroken, "use Bubblebeam again!"

Regaining focus, Corsola stared intently at the incoming Pikachu as a stream of white bubbles shot like a bullet towards the Electric-Type. The beam collided with Pikachu, prematurely ending his Volt Tackle and leaving him stunned.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out in concern.

"Now Corsola," Misty commanded with a smile, "Earth Power!"

"Corsoooola," the small Water-Type exclaimed as she reared her front legs before slamming them onto the ground, causing a crack, alit with golden energy, to shoot towards Pikachu.

"Pikaaaa!" Pikachu cried out as the super-effective Ground-Type attack hit and sent him flying. Ash rushed out onto the field and jumped, catching his now unconscious Pokémon mid-air. As Ash looked down at his buddy, it was clear the battle was over.

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" Tracey declared as he raised his left arm up towards Misty. "Corsola is the winner!"

"Yes, we did it!" Misty said excitedly as her Corsola jumped up and down. "I love you, Corsola!"

"Corsola!" the Water-Type shouted excitedly before Misty pulled out her Pokéball and returned her to it.

"Pika," Pikachu said sadly as Ash laid him down on the ground, with the rest of Ash's Pokémon looking on.

"Don't worry buddy," Ash said, a confident glean to his smile that Pikachu hadn't seen since the Sinnoh League. "I'll win this for both of us."

Ash began to look over his assembled Pokémon, trying to determine who would be the best choice to use next. While Gliscor was visibly perking up, Ash decided again to base his choice on Type.

"Torterra," Ash called out to the large Grass-Type, "you up for this?"

"Terra!" Torterra shouted in affirmation as he nodded his head and lumbered onto the field, ready to do battle. Taking note of Ash's choice, Misty picked another Pokéball from her bag and threw it into the air, releasing her Staryu onto the field.

"Hiiya!" the star-shaped Water-Type exclaimed as it landed on the field. Ash eyed Staryu carefully; Torterra may be much larger and have a Type-advantage, but that didn't mean victory was guaranteed. Since Misty had won the last round, Ash had first move this time, so he decided to give Torterra a power boost.

"Torterra, use Energy Ball!"

"Toooooorr", the large Grass-Type bellowed as an orb of pulsating blue energy formed in front of his open maw. Once the orb had grown large enough, Ash smiled.

"Swallow it." he commanded.

"What?" Misty reflexively responded; she knew Ash had a flair for unconventional strategies but she couldn't figure out what he was going for with this. Nonetheless, Torterra obeyed and slammed his jaws shut down on the Energy Ball. As soon as he did, his body took on a gleam of the same color as the attack, and the leaves on the tree growing out of his back soon erupted with the energy.

"Toooooorterra!" the Grass-Type shouted, clearly feeling the effects of the Energy Ball power-up. Knowing this could be a problem for Staryu, Misty decided to use a super-effective attack.

"Staryu, use Ice Beam!"

An orb similar to Torterra's Energy Ball formed near Staryu's top fin, but this one shot outwards towards Torterra in the form of three thin, closely connected beams. Unable to move out of the beam's path in time, Torterra took the full brunt of the attack and reeled from it's super-effectiveness.

"Hang in there, Torterra!" Ash cried out. He had been working on improving Torterra's defense for a while now, and he had hoped that would be enough for him to survive Ice Beam, especially since Torterra had just learned a new move that this battle would be the perfect opportunity to use. Once Staryu's Ice Beam ended, Ash took his chance.

"Torterra, Frenzy Plant!"

With that, Torterra reared up on his hind legs before slamming back down on the ground, and once he did, large vines erupted out of the ground and shot towards Staryu.

"I suppose that I'll have to put Mimey on gardening duty," Delia noted from the sidelines as Misty shouted her next command to Staryu.

"Staryu, use Rapid Spin!"

Staryu's body began to spin, using the force to propel itself through the air as the Frenzy Plant continued to chase after it.

"Staryu, cut the vines!" Misty shouted, deciding to try her hand at an untested strategy. Staryu, obeying its trainer, continued to spin through the air, but now began to crash through the vines that were chasing it, cutting them into two whenever they collided.

Ash and Torterra were taken aback that Staryu was resisting this super-effective attack, but Ash now saw the chance for Torterra to undo the damage inflicted by Ice Beam while Staryu was distracted.

"Torterra, Synthesis!"

"Terrraaaa," Torterra moaned as it began to glow with white energy and rejuvenate itself. Misty had deduced that Torterra had the edge over Staryu in terms of raw strength, and she had no intent of letting him recover.

"Staryu, get in close to Torterra."

Having finished pruning Torterra's Frenzy Plant, Staryu spun directly towards its opponent, stopping just short of colliding with Torterra. However, just as it did, the white light faded from Torterra's body, indicating his Synthesis was complete and his health restored. Knowing she had to act quick, Misty called an attack she was sure would hit.

"Staryu, use Swift!"

Glowing yellow energy in the shape of stars formed at Staryu's core and shot towards Torterra, who reeled from the attack but did not seem to be too damaged by it. Ash saw his chance now that Staryu was in striking distance, and smiled.

"Torterra, use Ro-"

But then, Ash stopped to consider the attack he was about to order Torterra to use. Images of Torterra's battles against Palmer's Rhyperior, Volkner's Electivire, and Paul's Drapion all flashed through his mind, and what ultimately did Torterra in each of those battles was when Ash had ordered him to use Rock Climb, giving his opponents a chance to launch a point-blank attack and finish Torterra off. If he had Torterra use Rock Climb now, all it would take is a well-timed Ice Beam for Staryu to finish this battle.

So, Ash decided to use a different attack, one that would keep Staryu far enough away from Torterra while dealing massive damage.

"Torterra, Energy Ball!"

"Staryu, use Rapid Spin to dodge!" Misty commanded. Staryu obeyed and began to spin, but the Energy Ball proved more powerful than expected and, once it hit the spinning Staryu, knock the Water-Type off balance. As Staryu fell to the ground, Ash saw an opening.

"Now Torterra, use Frenzy Plant!"

Torterra slammed into the ground once more, and again large vines erupted from the ground. This time, however, Staryu was already stunned by the Energy Ball and offered no resistance when the vines grabbed it and slammed it into the ground, leaving Staryu still as the vines retreated back into the ground.

"Staryu!" Misty called out in concern for her Pokémon, but Tracey raised his arm, signaling that the battle was over.

"Staryu is unable to battle! Torterra wins!"

"Awesome, Torterra!" Ash shouted in praise of his Pokémon's victory.

"Terra!" Torterra shouted back before he walked off the field and rejoined the rest of Ash's assembled Pokémon.

On the other side of the field, Misty called Staryu back to its Pokéball.

"Great job Staryu," she said looking down at the Pokéball in her hands. "Now take a good rest."

Placing Staryu's Pokéball back in her bag, Misty drew another Pokéball and threw it straight onto the field, releasing her Politoed.

"Politoed Politoed," the Water-Type chanted as he clapped his hands together repeatedly.

Taking notice of her choice, Ash looked back at his Pokémon to make his own selection. Just as he did, Gliscor began jumping up and down, clearly volunteering himself. Ash wasn't sure; Gliscor would be at a disadvantage against Politoed, but the Pokémon's enthusiasm was hard to turn away.

"You sure you want to do this, Gliscor?" Ash asked, kneeling down to meet Gliscor eye-to-eye.

"Glye Gliscor!" the Pokémon shouted affirmatively.

"Alright then," Ash replied, nodded and standing back up. "Then I choose you!"

"Gliiiiscor!" Gliscor shouted as he jumped off the ground and glided onto the field, landing mere feet from Politoed. Tracey raised his arms, and the battle commenced.

"Politoed, use Bubble Beam!" Misty ordered, to which Politoed responded by rearing his head back and letting loose a powerful stream of bubbles headed straight for Gliscor.

"Gliscor, counter it with Stone Edge!"

Two rings of white energy formed around Gliscor as he raised his claws over his head, and once the energy materialized into jagged stones, Gliscor threw his arms down, and with it, the stones were sent flying. Gliscor's Stone Edge attack thus collided mid-air with Politoed's Bubble Beam, destroying the momentum of both attacks as the bubbles popped and the stones fell to the ground.

"Politoed," Misty called out, not intent on letting Gliscor get an opening, "Bubble Beam again!"

As Politoed shot a stream of water in Gliscor's direction, Ash gave an order to Gliscor in response.

"Gliscor, fly up and dodge it, then use X-Scissor!"

"Gliscor!" Ash's Pokémon shouted as he slammed his claws into the ground to push himself up into the air and out of the way of Politoed's attack. As he glided over Politoed, Gliscor's claws glew white and he brought them down in an x-formation, generating a large energy X in front of himself, then dove towards Politoed. Misty was tempted to have Politoed dodge the attack, but instead decided to stand her ground.

"Politoed, Mega Punch!"

Politoed's pulled back his right fist as it began to glow white-blue energy, and once Gliscor was within reach, Politoed slammed his fist into the X-Scissor. The collision of the two attacks caused blowback for both Pokémon, sending Politoed tumbling across the ground and Gliscor back up into the sky. Realizing an X-Scissor wouldn't be enough, Ash decided to call the most powerful attack in Gliscor's arsenal.

"Gliscor, Giga Impact!"

Gliscor, now engulfed in a purple aura, dove towards Politoed again. This time, however, Misty decided to play it safe.

"Politoed, use Bounce!"

Jumping back to his feet, Politoed leaped into the air, dodging Gliscor's Giga Impact and leaving his opponent to crash into the ground. As the energy from Giga Impact faded and Gliscor looked up, he saw Politoed directly above him, their positions now reversed.

"Now Politoed," Misty shouted, seizing her chance, "Bubble Beam!"

As he descended back to the ground, Politoed spewed out a powerful burst of water at Gliscor.

"Gliscor, quick, dodge it!"

Unfortunately for Gliscor, he was still in pain from his crash and wasn't able to react quickly enough to dodge Politoed's Water Gun. He instead raised his claws up in a vain effort to shield himself, and thus took the full brunt of the super-effective attack while Politoed landed safely on the ground. Both Ash and Misty thought that may have been it for Gliscor, but to their surprise, the Ground-Flying Type rose from his knees and glared straight at Politoed, who shot back the same look.

"Gliscor!" Ash shouted, smiling and pumping his fist. "Use Stone Edge!"

"Politoed, use Swagger!" Misty responded.

"Pooooliiiii," Politoed hummed as he crossed his arms.

And so, Politoed became outlined in a red glow and glared at Gliscor, and once he did, Gliscor's eyes began to glow red, causing him to prematurely abort his Stone Edge attack and begin slapping himself over and over.

"Gliscor!" Ash called out, aware of what Politoed's attack had just done.

"What's Swagger?" Delia asked Professor Oak from the sidelines.

"It's an attack that raises your opponent's attack power, while simultaneously confusing it."

"Oh dear," Delia exclaimed before frowning. "That sounds like it could be a devastating move. Poor Ash and Gliscor."

"It can be, but if a trainer can get their Pokémon to snap out of the move, then the tables can be turned quite easily," Professor Oak explained, silently hoping that Ash would be able to do this for Gliscor.

"Gliscor, come on, snap out of it!" Ash called, with the rest of his Pokémon encouraging Gliscor as well. However, their cries proved fruitless, as Gliscor continued hitting himself; even Politoed had ceased attacking Gliscor, for he was doing more than enough damage on his own.

Soon, however, Gliscor had ceased hitting himself, and Ash smiled, thinking it may be over, a hope that was near instantly dashed once flames lit along Gliscor's upper jaw, a sign that he was about to use Fire Fang on himself. Alarmed, Ash raced onto the field, startling everyone and grabbed Gliscor by his back, trying to keep him from biting himself. Still confused, Gliscor struggled as Ash grabbed, and in his frenzied state, inadvertently bit Ash's left hand with Fire Fang.

While Ash's glove saved him from being outright burned, the heat from Gliscor's was still searing, and Ash just barely resisted giving out a pained scream.

"Ash Ketchum!" Delia called out in angered concern for her son. "Get back, right now!"

Ash had heard his mom's command, but while he had no desire to be on the receiving end of another Fire Fang, he couldn't abandon Gliscor, and so he held onto his Pokémon in his frantic effort to calm him down. Looking on in concern and regret, Misty considered shouting to Tracey to end the battle; she had called this battle to lift Ash's spirits, and now, thanks to her being reckless enough to use an attack like Swagger, he was getting attacked by his own confused Pokémon.

"Tracey," Misty called out, "We have to end this-"

But before Misty could finish the sentence, her head was turned by the sound of two voices.

"End what, Misty?"

"Glyyyye."

As Misty turned, she saw Ash was now standing, with a calmed Gliscor by his side; having attacked his own trainer was apparently just the visceral shock Gliscor needed to snap back to reality.

"Wait, did you want to end the battle?"

"Wha, what?" Misty stammered. "No, uh, no, of course not."

Totally unconvinced, Ash smirked in her direction.

"What, afraid you can't beat me?" he said before shooting a wink in her direction.

"Oh, please," Misty scoffed. "Let's just get back to the battle."

"Fine by me!" Ash responded, jogging back to his place on the field while Gliscor followed. While she may have seemed outwardly annoyed, Misty was smiling on the inside; it may have been alarming at the moment, but the way Ash threw himself, without hesitation, to try and help Gliscor was the thing she most appreciated about Ash. His selflessness, his willingness to help anyone in need, was what had convinced her all those years ago that he was more than just the idiotic boy who stole her bike and then totaled it, and it's why she still tried to maintain her friendship with him even though they no longer traveled together. But regardless, right now they were opponents, and Misty wasn't about to roll over and let Ash win even if they were friends.

"Politoed," she commanded, "use Bubble Beam!"

"Gliscor, dodge it!" Ash commanded.

Gliscor obeyed, use a burst of wind to glide high and avoid the incoming Water attack.

"Now, X-Scissor!"

Misty was a bit confused by Ash's command; why try an attack that had previously failed? But, if that what Ash was going to do, she might as well respond in kind.

"Politoed, Mega Punch!"

As Politoed prepared for his attack, Misty noticed an excited sheen in Ash's eyes from across the field.

"Gliscor," he shouted. "Pull up and use Stone Edge!"

Hovering above the ground, X in front of Gliscor faded as he raised his claws before quickly swinging them down, throwing a wave of sharpened stones into Politoed. Disoriented, Politoed stumbled around, trying to regain his footing and attack, but he was unable to hit Gliscor.

"Alright Gliscor," Ash said with the confidence that this move would end the match, "Giga Impact!"

Energy surged around Gliscor as he raced towards his opponent; once he collided, the sheer power of the attack threw Politoed across the field until he landed at Misty's feet.

"Politoed is unable to battle!" Tracey declared "Gliscor wins!"

"Yeah, you did it Gliscor!" Ash shouted.

"Gliscor!" Gliscor shouted as he leaped off the ground and shot towards Ash, who ducked out his Pokémon's path, causing Gliscor to land flat of his face.

"You ok?" Ash said as he turned around to face Gliscor, who looked up with a smile of his face, a smile which Ash returned. On the other side of the field, Misty recalled Politoed and, since she had the first move for the next round, grabbed a Pokéball from her bag and threw it out, releasing her Starmie, something Ash quickly took notice of.

Turning to his remaining Pokémon, Ash struggled to narrow down his choice; none of his remaining Pokémon were particularly good matchups for Starmie. Infernape would have a double disadvantage against Starmie, and none of Buizel's attacks would do much damage. Plus, since Staryu knew Ice Beam, it's possible that Starmie did as well, which would mean both Staraptor and Gible might be in trouble. After weighing his options, Ash finally made his decision.

"Staraptor," he called out enthusiastically. "You up for this one?"

"Star Staraptor!" the Flying-Type exclaimed in response, clearly answering yes, before flying off the ground to meet Starmie on the battlefield. Tracey again raised his arms, and to kick off the battle, Misty made her move.

"Starmie, use Swift!" she ordered.

As Starmie generated yellow energy in the same shape as its body and shot the attack towards Staraptor, Ash gave a command to his own Pokémon.

"Quick Attack!"

Staraptor, obeying his trainer, shot forward with a white stream of light being left behind in his wake. With his remarkable speed, he dodged the Swift attack, zig-zagging through the air before spiraling upward and causing the Swift stars to crash into each other and explode. Not wanting to leave him open for a follow-up attack, Ash gave another command.

"Now use Aerial Ace!"

Staraptor shot forward again, this time dive-bombing towards Starmie as streaks of white light formed from the tip of his beak.

"Starmie, use Harden!" Misty commanded, intended to reflect the attack rather than dodge it. The strategy proved successful in short order; Starmie's shell took on a white sheen just Staraptor collided directly with it, and the recoil sent the Flying-Type back into the sky, the attack clearly having been ineffective. Frustrated, Ash decided a more powerful move was needed.

"Staraptor, Brave Bird!"

Staraptor, retracting his wings, dived at Starmie once more, this time his body became engulfed in red hot flames. Then, once he was in striking distance of Starmie, he extended his wings and the flames transformed into cackling blue energy, a sign of the raw power of the attack that Staraptor was about to use. Misty, not even batting an eye, confidently commanded Starmie to use Harden again. The results proved identical to the two Pokémon's clash moments ago; Staraptor crashed into Starmie, but the Water-Type shrugged off the damage and threw Staraptor back up into the air.

This time, however, blue electricity began to crackle along Staraptor's body, a symptom of the recoil damage inflicted by his use of Brave Bird. Seeing that Staraptor was now weakened and distracted, Misty played her ace in the hole.

"Starmie, use Thunderbolt!"

"Oh no!" Ash exclaimed, almost involuntarily, on the other side of the field. While the recoil damage ended before the Thunderbolt hit, the still disoriented Staraptor didn't have enough time to dodge, and all he could do was gasp as the super-effective attack hit him in mid-air, sending volts of electricity through his body as he screeched in pain. Once the Thunderbolt ended, Staraptor's unconscious form descended face first to the ground before he crashed in front of Starmie, clearly unconscious.

"Staraptor is unable to battle," Tracey declared as Ash ran out onto the field to Staraptor. "Starmie is the winner!"

"Oh Starmie, you were just amazing!" Misty called out to her Pokémon before she returned it to its Pokéball. Ash, having knelt down beside Staraptor to examine the extent of his injuries, decided to do the same, and pulled Staraptor's Pokéball from his belt and recalled him.

"You take a good rest, you hear me?" Ash said quietly before he clipped Staraptor's Pokeball to his belt and returned to his position on the other side of the battlefield. His hands on his hips, Ash looked over his assembled Pokémon; he had the first move, and since this next battle would be a critical one, he had to choose carefully and ultimately decided to play it safe.

"Buizel," Ash said, looking down to lock eyes with the Water-Type. The pair of trainer and Pokémon exchanged nods before Buizel sauntered onto the battlefield, his arms crossed and his expression confident.

"Bui bui!" Buizel shouted, practically daring Misty to make her move. Misty, more than a little eager to get back at Buizel for soaking her earlier, simply grabbed a Pokéball and threw it in the Pokémon's direction, and once it opened, Buizel's previously confident expression faded into one of shock. Seeing Misty's choice, Ash mentally facepalmed; of course, she would have brought this Pokémon with her, how could he have forgotten about it.

The Pokémon that Ash and Buizel now faced was Misty's Gyarados, a 25-foot tall serpentine Pokémon and the powerhouse of Misty's team. Drastically dwarfing Buizel in size and raw power, Gyarados let out a terrifying roar to let Ash and Buizel know exactly how much they had their work cut out for them. Still, Ash at least had the first move, and he wasn't going to let it go to waste.

"Buizel, use Water Gun!"

As Buizel let loose a powerful stream of water from his mouth, Misty ordered a counterattack.

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!"

Gyarados shot out a thicker stream of water from his mouth, which collided with Buizel's Water Gun and began pushing back against it, clearly overpowering the Sea Weasel Pokémon's attack. Knowing he and Buizel were outmatched, Ash decided to try a different strategy.

"Buizel, quick, use Aqua Jet!"

As Buizel ended his Water Gun, his entire body became engulfed in water and he spun his tails with the rapidness of a boat propeller, generating enough force to push him off the ground and avoid Gyarados's Hydro Pump. Buizel pushed himself further into the air until he tackled Gyarados's upper throat with all his might. The Atrocious Pokémon recoiled from having been struck at such a sensitive spot, while Buizel hovered in mid-air, the water around his body dissipating but his spinning keeping him airborne. Naturally, Ash saw a chance to land another attack.

"Buizel, Ice Punch!"

But as Buizel's right fist began to glow with a white crystalline sheen, the pain faded from Gyarados's face and he stared down Buizel with a look of pure rage.

"Gyarados," Misty called out, "use Crunch!"

Gyarados obliged his trainer; once Buizel was close enough, Gyarados bit down on his extended arm, negating the Ice Punch and trapping Buizel in his maw. As Buizel called out in pain and tried to free himself, Misty decided to grant the small Water-Type his wish.

"Gyarados, throw Buizel!"

Gyarados reared his body back then lurched forward, opening his jaw and sending Buizel flying in the process. Buizel crashed into a nearby tree and slumped down along the trunk, not quite knocked out but still struggling to stand.

"Buizel, come on, you gotta get back up," Ash begged, with all of his other Pokémon echoing his sentiments from the sidelines.

"Alright Gyarados," Misty called out confidently. "Hydro Pump."

Gyarados reared back once again, this time a red-orange fireball forming between his open jaws, then he again shot forward, shooting the Hydro Pump straight towards Buizel.

"Buizel, use Sonic Boom!" Ash desperately commanded. Buizel heard the order loud and clear, and determined not to let his trainer down, he used all his might to push himself to his feet. In the face of the incoming Hydro Pump, Buizel's tails began to glow with white energy before he flipped himself mid-air and launched a curved shockwave towards the Hydro Pump. The collision of the attacks nullified both, resulting in a small explosion and a cloud of steam.

"Ice-Aqua Jet!" Ash called out to Buizel, who began to use Aqua Jet and shot towards Gyarados. This time, however, Buizel's held out his fists, which took on a crystalline glow and caused the water surrounding him to freeze. While Buizel was now encased in ice, he was still on target, and the combination attack struck Gyarados straight in the forehead. The ice shattered on impact, exacerbating Gyarados's pain but freeing Buizel. Misty, knowing Ash would now try to land a second attack, quickly gave another command.

"Crunch again!"

"Buizel, get back!"

Gyarados again tried to catch Buizel between his powerful jaws, but this time the smaller Water-Type motioned out of the way just in time to avoid the attack.

"Now, use Sonic Boom!"

Flipping in mid-air, Buizel's tails glew white and he once again sent a powerful shockwave into Gyarados's direction. As Buizel fell back to the ground, the Sonic Boom struck Gyarados in the nearly same spot Buizel's Ice-Aqua Jet had hit, and this time the pain was so great that Gyarados let out a roar.

Misty, growing ever more frustrated, frowned; Buizel was more resilient than she had expected, and his size combined with his agility meant it was hard for a large Pokémon like Gyarados to land an attack. Somehow, she needed a way to keep Buizel in place. And then, it hit her.

"Gyarados, use Rain Dance!"

Gyarados, mostly recovered from the Sonic Boom, looked up to the sky and roared, echoing the sound of thunder as dark clouds began to settle in above them. It then began to drizzle, with the rain increasing in intensity by the second. Ash, not quite sure what Misty was planning, decided to attack.

"Buizel, Water Gun!"

"I don't think so; Gyarados, Hurricane!"

Just as Buizel began to spew the Water Gun, Gyarados leaned over him and opened his jaws wide, unleashing a powerful gust of wind that blew Buizel back, canceling the Water Pulse in the process. Once Buizel landed, he struggled back to his feet and fought with every ounce of his remaining strength to hold his ground, while even Ash, Tracey, Delia, Professor Oak, and all of Ash's Pokémon braced themselves to avoid being blown away.

While the wind pounding against his face was a distraction, Ash, thinking back to the battles he and Buizel had fought together throughout Sinnoh, suddenly remembered Buizel's Ability, and realized that, by having Gyarados use Rain Dance, Misty may have just granted him victory.

"Buizel, run towards Gyarados and use Ice Punch!"

Buizel looked back towards Ash, confused by his trainer's command, but Ash responded only with a confident nod, and that was all the assurance Buizel needed. The small Water-Type began running towards his massive opponent, overpowering the Hurricane attack and moving with such speed that he was practically a blur, to which Misty and Gyarados's only responses were gaped jaws.

"Buizel's moving awfully quick," Delia noted as she peered out onto the field.

"That's because Buizel's Ability is Swift Swim," Professor Oak explained to her. "Swift Swim enables a Pokémon to move at incredibly high speeds in the rain."

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!"

"Dodge it, Buizel!"

As Gyarados shot out a powerful jet of water beneath him towards his opponent, Buizel responded by jumping straight up and striking Gyarados directly in the face yet again.

"Buizel, again!"

Buizel, following Ash's command, struck Gyarados in the face with Ice Punch, again, again, again, and again. Both of the small Water-Type's paws now had the same crystalline-glow, and frost was beginning to visibly form along Gyarados' face from the impact of the rapidly successive Ice Punches.

What Ash and Buizel had failed to take into account though, was that Buizel's Swift Swim was useless if Buizel was hovering in the air, right in front of Gyarados. Misty, however, had not failed to realize this.

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!"

Gyarados shot a powerful stream of water from its mouth, which struck Buizel directly. Having taken the full-brunt of the Hydro Pump, Buizel let out a pained cry as he was sent tumbling to the ground, landing right in front of Ash.

"Buizel, no!"

Just as Buizel landed, Gyarados made an expression that looked almost like a smile, satisfied that he had finally beaten his diminutive opponent. But just as he did, his eyes turned over and he collapsed as well; the damage inflicted by Buizel's attacks and the pure exhaustion was simply too much for him.

"Both Buizel and Gyarados are unable to battle!" Tracey declared. "This round is a draw!"

Ash kneeled down and picked up the unconscious Buizel by his neck. Holding his Pokémon with one arm and holding Buizel's Pokéball in the other, Ash recalled the Water-Type.

"You were just awesome Buizel," Ash said with a smile as he looked down at the Pokéball. "I hope you get a good rest."

On the other side of the field, Misty walked out and petted Gyarados along his forehead affectionately, before taking out his Pokéball and recalling him as well.

"You were great, Gyarados," she said comfortingly. "Now leave the rest to me."

With that, both Ash and Misty returned to their places on opposite sides of the field and prepared for the final round of the battle. Since both of them had two victories plus a tie, this next round would decide the winner. While this may have started out as merely a friendly battle, neither Ash nor Misty wanted to lose.

"Infernape," Ash said to one of his two remaining Pokémon, "I choose you."

Infernape nodded and walked out onto the field, preparing for battle. Infernape may be at a disadvantage against Misty's Water-Types, but the Fire-Type had proven himself time and time again while Ash was in Sinnoh.

Ash then looked down at his Bible, a bit worried that his most recently captured Pokémon would feel excluded from not being used in the battle, but if he did, Ash couldn't tell, for Gible was wearing his trademark vacant stare. Deciding not to worry about Gible until the battle was finished, Ash turned around to face Misty, who had made her choice as well: Psyduck.

"Uuuuuh," Ash muttered. "Misty, if Psyduck popped out of his ball, you can exchange him for the Pokémon you really wanted."

"Psyduck is the Pokémon I really want to use, Ash."

"...if you say so."

Despite his harmless appearance, Ash knew Psyduck could be dangerous, especially considering his ability to use Psychic-Type attacks, which would be super-effective on Infernape. Best to wrap this one up quickly.

"Infernape, use Mach Punch!"

"Infernaaape!" Infernape screeched as he charged forward towards Psyduck, his right fist extended and aglow with white-blue energy.

"Psyduck, Confusion!"

"Psyyyyduck!" Psyduck shouted as his eyes glew purple and he held out his arms. Soon, Infernape became outlined in the same purple energy and was lifted off the ground.

"Psyduck's using Psychic attacks without a headache?" Ash questioned.

"What, you think you're the only one who spends time training your Pokémon, Ash?"

As the two trainers shared their exchange, Infernape was slammed onto the ground by Psyduck, who in turn received an order to use Water Gun from Misty.

"Infernape, use Dig!" Ash commanded.

Getting back to his feet and dodging the Water Gun, Infernape jumped up and dived into the ground, leaving behind a small dust cloud and a hole. Psyduck, confused, began to waddle around the field, trying to determine where Infernape would pop up.

"Mach Punch!" Ash cried out.

Infernape, having heard his trainer's command, leaped out of the ground right behind Psyduck, and the small Water-Type panicked as Infernape loomed over him, his first cackling with white energy.

"Psyduck, Confusion again!"

Psyduck, having closed his eyes in fear, still nonetheless obeyed and raised his hands up, again throwing Infernape off the ground before the Fire-Type had the chance to strike him. This time, Infernape was sent flying through the air and landed in a nearby pond.

"Infernape!" Ash called out in concern over the sound of splashing as his Pokémon made contact with the water and vanished beneath the pond's surface. Everyone looked intently at the pond for a moment, unsure if Infernape had been knocked out, before a geyser-like stream of fire erupted from the pond, followed by Infernape, his entire body now emanating heat and the flames along his head burning with greater intensity, jumping out of the pond. Ash smiled, knowing exactly what had happened and that the battle was now all but his.

"It must be Infernape's Blaze…" Professor Oak thought aloud.

"Blaze?" Delia questioned.

"It's an ability of certain Fire-Types. When they're heavily injured, the power of their Fire-Type moves increases."

"Alright, Infernape," Ash commanded as he pointed straight forwards. "Flamethrower!"

"Iiiiiiinnnfeeeerrrrnaaape!" Infernape cried out as his belly and cheeks swelled up before he unleashed an absolutely massive Flamethrower in Psyduck's direction.

"Psyduck, quick, use Water Gun!" Misty commanded, more than a bit panicked. Psyduck obeyed, but his Water Gun quickly evaporated when it made contact with Infernape's Flamethrower. Soon, the Flamethrower hit Psyduck, and once the flames cleared, Psyduck was lying on his back, his feathers seared and clearly unconscious.

"Psyduck is unable to battle! Infernape wins, which means the victor is Ash!" Tracey declared, raising his right hand to Ash's side of the field.

"Alright Infernape, you did it!" Ash yelled excitedly as he raced to meet his Pokémon; the pair shared a high five while Ash's other Pokémon cheered and both Professor Oak and Delia clapped in applause of Ash's effort.

"You were all amazing, guys," Ash said to his assembled Pokémon. "Now, all you should get some rest."

With that, Ash pulled four Pokéballs off his belt and recalled Infernape, Torterra, Gliscor, and Gible, while Pikachu hopped back onto his shoulder. On the other side of the field, Misty kneeled down to Psyduck, recalled him to his Pokéball, and sat quietly for a few seconds.

"Misty?"

With that, Misty looked up and saw Ash, Pikachu on his shoulder, standing over her, Ash extending his hand. Misty took it and the young trainer pulled her back up to her feet, and the two shared a wordless glance for a few seconds before Ash spoke up.

"Thanks so much for the battle," he began. "You were just awesome and...honestly, I think it's just what I needed."

Misty smiled widely, happy that her plan had worked just as she predicted.

"Thank you, Ash," was all she said initially, but a few more seconds was all it took for the sarcastic side of her brain to take over.

"And hey, now you can at least say you won the Cascade Badge legitimately."

"Hey, considering there'd be no Cerulean Gym if it wasn't for me, I think I earned that Badge already," Ash snapped back.

"Well if you hadn't brought Team Rocket along with you the gym wouldn't have needed saving in the first place!" Misty retorted, the two getting closer to each other and their expressions growing more intense, while Pikachu merely sighed.

"I hate to break up your little lover's quarrel, but the food's getting cold, so would you mind if we all went back inside?" Delia asked her son and Misty.

"Lovers?!" Ash and Misty, shock written across their faces, said simultaneously before looking at each other.

"As if!" They both declared, again speaking in synchronization.

"Race you inside!" the two challenged each other, before darting off towards the house at such speed that Pikachu looked like he was just barely keeping himself from falling off Ash's shoulder.

"When will those two learn?" Tracey, semi-joking, asked Professor Oak and Delia.

"In due time, Tracey," Professor Oak answered. "In due time."

With that, the three walked across the street and back into the Ketchum residence.

The rest of the afternoon into the night proved relaxing and mostly uneventful; over their dinner, the five discussed various topics, from Ash's adventures in Sinnoh, to Misty's experiences as Cerulean gym leader, to Professor Oak and Tracey's work back at the lab. Once some post-dinner festivities had concluded, Misty revealed that she had to leave, and Ash offered to walk her out. The young pair went outside and walked over to Misty's bike, parked alongside the fence surrounding the house.

"You sure that you can't stay until morning, Misty?" Ash suddenly asked as she was preparing her bike. "It's already getting dark, and I'm sure we could find room for you here. I mean, you could even take my bed while I sleep on the couch…"

"That's really sweet of you to offer, Ash," Misty said. "But I'm hoping to get back to the gym by noon tomorrow, and if I'm going to do that I have to go now. Can't leave my sisters in charge for too long after all."

To that, both Ash and Misty chuckled.

"Besides," Misty continued, turning away from Ash and looking up to the sky, "I've got camping gear with me, and I kind of prefer sleeping outside, under the stars. It reminds me of..."

Misty turned back to face Ash.

"...Old times."

Ash solemnly nodded, understanding what Misty meant perfectly.

"Well, take care, Misty."

"You too, Ash."

"Will I… see you again?"

Misty paused, a bit confused why Ash was asking what seemed like an obvious question before it hit her why this exchange sounded so familiar. And once it did, she nodded.

"You will. I swear."

The old friends then shared one last smile, after which Misty hopped on her bike and rode off along the road that Ash himself had been traveling on mere hours ago. Ash stayed outside, looking off into the distance until Misty was out of sight, and even a bit afterward. He then closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again and smiling.

"Well Pikachu, we shouldn't keep Mom and the others waiting."

"Pi-ka-chu," Ash's partner nodded.

Ash then walked back into the house and shut the door behind him, his sense of adventure reborn and aware that his journey to become a Pokémon master was just beginning.


End file.
